About the Project

For many years now, faith leaders in the United States have been setting forth powerful moral imperatives for a system that strengthens our communities and protects our families. Even so, many people remain largely uninformed and unaware of the human implications of our nation’s immigration policies. With a goal of pushing past this polarization and misinformation, Active Voice presents ONWARD, a story + data project to help faith-based leaders across the country engage their communities around one of the most pressing issues today.

With generous support from the MacArthur Foundation, ONWARD provides an online one-stop shop of curated films, video clips, and news stories—paired with timely and relevant data—to close the gap in understanding between policy experts and everyday people and inspire a more informed dialogue about the hottest topics in immigration today. From public events designed to spark action to intimate dialogues for congregants to voice questions and concerns, and online sneak previews of timely films, ONWARD allows for faith leaders to design activities tailored to each community’s desires and needs.

Featured films include: Theo Rigby’s The Caretaker about the relationship between an elderly woman and her immigrant caretaker from Fiji (featured in the image above); Mary Mazzio’s Underwater Dreams about a group of young and ambitious high school students who defy the odds and win a national college-­level underwater robotics competition and more! Check it out at www.onwardproject.net.